Saturday, April 24, 2010

Show Me Five Saturday

1 Book you read and/or reviewed this week2 Words that describe the book3 Settings where it took place or characters you met4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it5 Stars or less for your rating?

1 Book you read and/or reviewed this week Heist Society by Ally Carter2 Words that describe the book Art Theft!3 Settings where it took place or characters you metSetting - all over modern-day Europe (England, Paris and Austria (you just have to throw plausibility to the wind with this book!)Kat - Katarina Bishop, 15 year old daughter of two world renowned art thieves, has decided to change her ways and leave the "family business". Unfortunately a powerful mobster has other ideas. Kat is thrown back into her old life when she needs to protect the ones she loves by stealing 5 old world masterpieces with a team of "highly trained thieves" - teenagers themselves!!Hale - W.W. Hale, IV. Old-moneyed, bored teen who has become Kat's co-conspirator and friend. He's every girl's dream; good looking, moneyed, suave and a natural with people, yet Kat won't allow herself to be more than friends. Or will she?Hale's real need is to belong; to feel a part of the "family", even if it is a family of thieves.4 Things you liked and/or disliked about it

1 - Think of the movies Entrapment, Ocean's 11, and Sneakersand you'll have a pretty good mindset for this book. Not very plausible but a good ride nonetheless. I can see a Disney teen movie in this.2 - Does the fact that Kat is stealing art masterpieces to release her father or return them to their rightful owners make things right? It's a conundrum we often use to validate our own choices. Talk about a mixed message book.3. The plot line was certainly entertaining, I kept turning the pages, and the author did keep some good plot twists and turns at the end. Yet surprisingly enough I never really cared about Kat and certainly never felt a sense of "family" that I knew the author wanted to portray. I never understood her kinship with nor care for her Uncle Eddie, never felt her love for her father who she was now risking her life for. It all felt detached and aloof.4. Although the characters jet-setted all over the continent, the settings never seemed to play much of a role in the book. Each setting was set off beautifully in the book with a world map, a destination and a count down of days. I wish as much care had gone into making the setting a bigger part of the story by the author.5 Stars or less for your rating? 3.5/5.0It was a fun romp, a change of pace from some of my other readings of late and I just downright love YA literature, but after all the hype this one fell flat.